Dwayne Manley feeling Michael Bay's 'Pain'

JohnsonBayWahlbergWhich muscular stars did Michael Bay call first for his darkly comedy bodybuilding pic "Discomfort and Gain?" His fellow WME clients Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Manley, "Another Males" co-stars that are the management to topline Bay's low-budget (by his standards) laffer. Both thesps have spoken concerning the project with Bay, even though Johnson's participation is further along than Wahlberg's, sources caution will still be at the beginning of the casting process. With Manley noisy . talks and Wahlberg circling, the pairing may depend around the second actor clearing room within the schedule. With various Miami New Occasions article from 1999, "Discomfort and Gain" follows some Florida bodybuilders who get taken up inside an extortion ring together with a kidnapping plan that goes terribly wrong. "Captain America" scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely written the first script and possess in contrast its tone for the Coen brothers' "Fargo," which was also with various true crime story. Extended-gestating dark comedy, that's mentioned to keep a modest $20 million cost, is defined at Vital and you'll be produced by Bay and Jesse P Line, that's been connected using the project since 2001. Wahlberg, who's presently shooting Allen Hughes' "Broken City" with Russell Crowe, has several potential projects competing for his next slot, including Universal's "2 Guns" and Adam McKay's football comedy "Three Mississippi." Lately, Wahlberg has smartly balanced his career, mixing comedies like "Another Males" and "Date Evening" between dramatic turns in "The Fighter" and "The Lovely Bones." He next stars in Seth MacFarlane's adult comedy "Ted" and Baltasar Kormakur's crime thriller "Contraband." Manley has labored non-stop since aiding to usher "Fast Five" for the finest gross in Universal's "Fast and Furious" franchise. With "Discomfort and Gain" prone to start production in the year, Manley would be capable of squeeze the film in before returning for your sixth and seventh records in "Fast" series, which Universal would ideally would rather shoot back-to-back beginning next season. Manley, who returns to family fare with "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" Feb. 10, recently wrapped "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" and may soon begin filming Ric Roman Waugh's action thriller "Snitch." Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com